


A Pirate's Life

by Laci_Taleweaver



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Blood Bond, IN SPACE, Kidnapping, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Piracy, Saiyan Culture, possible deception
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2018-12-01 11:23:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11485368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laci_Taleweaver/pseuds/Laci_Taleweaver
Summary: Goku and Gohan begin a new life as space pirates on Turles's ship.This is a sequel to Turles's Unexpected Find by Wolfrider14, which is VERY EXPLICIT.  There's currently nothing really sexual in this fic, but watch for potential ratings changes.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Turles's Unexpected Find](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5898568) by [Wolfrider14](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfrider14/pseuds/Wolfrider14). 



> A/N: YES, six-year-old Gohan is doing algebra. If you look at the scene in the first episode of DBZ where Chichi is in Gohan's room, you can see that the math problems in his book are geometry and basic algebra--WAY more advanced than a human child that age should be able to handle! I've chosen to interpret this as Saiyan (and half-Saiyan) brain development being faster than humans', and possibly the whole species being more intelligent than humans as well.

Turles sighed in contentment as he nuzzled his new mate. He had come back to Earth for revenge; he hadn't expected to seduce Kakarot into joining him so easily, and he _definitely_ hadn't expected the feelings he was starting to develop for the earth-raised Saiyan after several rounds of incredible sex.

  
"Well, you said you wanted us to go pick up your brat. We should probably take care of it before anyone notices how long you've been gone," Turles said as he reluctantly sat up.

"But what am I gonna wear? You destroyed my clothes, remember?"

The dark-skinned Saiyan smirked as he remembered incinerating Kakarot's garish orange gi. "True. And while I don't really mind doing this naked, I get the feeling it'll probably bother the kid way too much. You'll just have to wear some of my clothes until we can replace them." It was lucky that he and Kakarot were close in size, and that the snug-fitting underclothes Turles preferred were stretchy; they should still fit all right on Kakarot's smaller frame.

 

* * *

 

Gohan was working on an algebra problem in his room when his father opened the door. He looked up in confusion. Goku was shirtless, wearing very tight black shorts that came about halfway to the knee. And he had a look on his face like something really important--and possibly dangerous--was happening.

"Dad? What's going on? Why are you wearing those weird shorts?"

"I don't have time to explain, Gohan," replied Goku. "Grab your books and let's go."

"Go? Go where? You're acting really strange." Gohan decided not to comment on the fact that the furry waistband of those tight, black shorts had just moved. _Dad's tail grew back again..._

"There's somethin' we have to do. I haven't forgotten yer studies; that's why we're gettin' the books." Goku took the knapsack he'd just finished stuffing with books and tossed it out the window. "Turles, catch!"

Gohan stared at his father in shock. "D-did you just say--"

"Let's go, son." Goku gently, but firmly, took his young son by the arm and propelled him out the back door, then carried him back to the ship.

Meanwhile Chichi, who'd been in the living room folding laundry, had heard her husband's voice. "Goku-sa? Are ya back already? I told ya before I didn't wanna see you!"

She headed back to Gohan's room, where she thought she'd heard the two of them talking. The door and window were open; the desk had been roughly cleared off. Nobody was in the room.

"Goku? Gohan?" Something was very, very wrong. She searched every room of the house, noticing too late that the back door was still slightly ajar.

"GOKU! GOHAN!!" Chichi ran out the door, calling into the woods. But it was too late. Her husband and son were gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gohan gets an education. (And no, I haven't decided whether Turles is telling the truth or not here.)  
> Note for people whose first language isn't English: "Half again" means 1.5 times the amount.

The little ship was heading away from Earth, but Gohan was not taking the news of his new home or his father's new mate very well at all.

"What's he done to you, Daddy?" the young half-Saiyan wailed. "Why would you go with Turles? He tried to kill us! He's a pirate an' a monster an'--an'--I wanna go home!!"

"Damn, Kakarot, if I knew the kid was going to make this much of a fuss, I'd have just left him behind."

Goku glared. "Gohan's my son. He goes where I go. Besides, he's half-Saiyan too. He deserves to know about his heritage."

"What heritage? I'm from Earth!"

"Son," Goku explained, as gently as possible in hopes it would calm the boy down, "I never really knew who'd left me on the mountain for Grandpa Gohan to find. So when Raditz told me I was really Saiyan, that's really all I knew about my past: that I'd been sent to Earth from another planet. King Kai told me while I was with him that the Saiyans killed off the other people who'd lived on Planet Vegeta--"

"The Tuffles," Turles interrupted. "And did he tell you that the Tuffles tried to enslave our people, because they thought we were too stupid and inferior to be trusted on our own? We took the planet from them because we had to in order to survive. They treated us worse than animals. At least you only kill an animal if you need to eat it. They butchered us for sport. That's one reason why there were so few Saiyan women around. They tried to cull our numbers by murdering pregnant women."

"No, he didn't mention any of that." Goku was shocked. He'd always assumed that all Saiyans were bloodthirsty pirates by their very nature, not that they'd been driven to cruelty to escape the massacre of their people.

"Anyway," Turles said, "this little history lesson can wait. We've reached the main ship."

The larger main ship, as it turned out, had been hidden on a moon of Earth's solar system.

"Is that Ganymede?" Gohan asked, as Turles hit the controls that would connect the two ships' airlocks, allowing them to transfer spacecrafts without cumbersome gear.

"Might be. It's certainly bigger than Vegeta's moon was. Probably bigger than your whole planet." _Maybe this kid isn't so bad when he isn't bawling his eyes out,_ Turles thought.

Once the three Saiyans had crossed the joined airlocks and entered the ship proper, Turles pressed some more buttons by the airlock door, separating the ships again. "I'd better show you two around the ship. It's easy to get lost in here if you don't know what you're doing."

The pirate ship had a large cargo hold by the airlock, followed by surprisingly-spacious living quarters with artificial gravity half again that of Earth. The kitchen had a variety of appliances that Goku and Gohan had never seen before (which Turles promised to teach them how to use); the lounge had a big-screen TV, music system, and a state-of-the-art hologram projector; the bathroom was about what the two earth-raised Saiyans expected; and finally came the bunks.

  
Given that Turles's old crew was all dead, there were plenty of empty rooms, and Gohan was encouraged to make himself at home in the one nearest the lounge.

"But what about Dad?" Gohan asked as he set his books carefully in a small shelf that was recessed into the cabin wall.

"Your father is my _special guest_ on this ship, and as such, he'll be staying in the master suite," Turles drawled, a big shit-eating grin on his face. He then gave Goku a peck on the cheek, his tail brushing his new mate's thigh.

Gohan turned to his father. "Does this mean you and Mommy are getting a divorce?"

Goku spluttered. Turles just looked confused.

"What in the name of the four Kais is a _divorce_?" he asked.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio goes shopping, and Gohan slowly starts to accept his new life. But he's still not so sure about Turles.
> 
> Expect FEELS from the end of this chapter.

A few days after Goku and Gohan had joined the crew, Turles tried again to get on the young half-Saiyan's good side. They were getting close to a trading station, and it would be much easier to get clothes and supplies wihtout having to deal with a little kid trying to run away.

"I saw you like books. Whatcha got there, anyhow?" Turles asked. "I'd check myself, but I can't read your weird Earth-writing."

"That one's trigonometry, and that one's chemistry, and that one's human ananatomy, an' world history, an' advanced physics..."

"Advanced, huh?" Turles smirked. "I had to know a fair bit of physics to learn to fly this thing. Read me a little and lemme see if I still remember it."

"Yeah!" Gohan eagerly started reading a random page in the physics book.

Turles listened with interest first, then with disbelief. "But that's ridiculous! That equation implies that the energy you need to reach lightspeed is infinite! No wonder Earthlings never developed interstellar travel--your science is so primitive!" Gohan's face fell.

"Ah, cheer up, kid. I'll see if I can't find some good educational media-drives to teach you how this stuff _really_ works. I think I still have my old scouter and some of my old drives somewhere in the closet for starters."

Gohan pouted, trying not to look as intensely interested in the Saiyan educational supplies as he was. "I still don't trust you, you know."

"I know."

* * *

  
Goku had more fun than he thought he would trying on new clothes. Deneb Station had one of the nicer shopping complexes in the local sector, and the clothing shops had the latest fashions from hundreds of civilized planets. While Goku preferred loose clothing to the skin-tight Saiyan armor Turles favored, he still avoided orange out of respect for his new mate's preferences. He was currently sporting a black tank top with a loose jacket and dark blue pants.

"Damn, you look good in that," Turles commented. "Not sure which I like more, you wearing that, or the idea of taking it off you later."

Goku blushed and suggested finding something nice for Gohan as well, since the boy's clothes were mostly back on Earth. Gohan immediately went for loose blue and purple outfits that reminded him of his old mentor, Piccolo. Turles had to put his foot down when Gohan tried to get a white cape, though.

"Trust me, kid, in combat or zero-g situations, a cape is a liability. You don't want to trip over it, choke on it, or get it caught in something. Plus, it's basically a big handle for an opponent to grab you with. You can get anything else you want, but no capes."

A stop by the mediadisc shop featured several self-updating educational drives (for a very modest subscription fee), and to Turles's great shock and elation, recordings of the carefully-passed-down Saiyan oral history known as the Songs. "We have to get this. If you two want to know more about Saiyans, the Songs are a must."

Gohan was like a kid in the candy store, fascinated by the variety of both educational and entertainment media, and he asked the store staff to read label after label for him. Ardanian Botany. Latest Hits From Erebus 7! Now Available: The Autobiography of K'TLL'CHT. He was eager to learn how to read Galactic Standard so he could enjoy all the fascinating new things there were to experience out here!

Maybe.... _maybe_...he could at least enjoy the cool stuff Turles was buying him while he was in space. But he still didn't have to _like_ the dark-skinned Saiyan who had, apparently, replaced Chichi entirely in his father's heart.

* * *

  
Gohan woke up in the middle of the night. _Man....I have to pee_. He stumbled to the bathroom, and on the way back he heard a sound.

Was that his father, crying out in pain?

"Ah...Turles!" Yes, that was definitely Goku's voice.

 _I knew it!_ thought the young half-Saiyan as he raced to the master suite. _He waited until Dad was asleep and his guard was down, and now he's attacking him!_

Gohan opened the door, and there were Goku and Turles.

They were definitely _not_ fighting.

Gohan slammed the door and stood there in the hall, trying to process what he had just seen. He'd read the biology and anatomy books pretty well. He knew how babies were made, weird and gross as the process was. But to see his _dad_ doing that...and with another man...and the other man was _Turles_...

The boy groaned. "I never want to see another naked person in my life."

* * *

  
Goku and Turles were interrupted by a slamming door.

"Shit, was that what I think it was?" Turles asked. He thought he'd seen a tiny silhouette for a moment.

Goku sighed. "The one time I get to be on top..."

Turles kissed his young mate. "We'll have other chances. But I think you should go talk to your son now."

 

  
"Gohan," Goku began.

The boy pouted and turned away from his father, unnerved by what he couldn't help seeing as the betrayal of his mother.

"Things have been...different between your mother and me since we found out I was Saiyan," Goku said, reflexively rubbing the old scar on the back of his head. "I know you didn' notice so much, since ya didn't know the others before Raditz came, but they're actin' different too. Like everything that makes me different, that makes me, ME, is a sign I'm gonna explode or somethin.' Or like me bein' Saiyan makes me dangerous in a way I wasn't before we all knew.

"And...Chichi's been angry at me a lot more. Yellin' and stuff. I think she was afraid an' just too scared to say it. But she doesn' treat me the way she did before. I don't even think she loves me like she did when we were just two people raisin' a child together. Suddenly, I was an alien--and sure, I'm still the same ol' me, but somethin' about knowin' I'm not from Earth puts everybody on edge, even though nothin' else has changed.

"Yer the only one who hasn't acted scared of me, or tried to push me away." Goku frowned. "Your mother even threw me out the day I took you away. Said she didn' want me to see you anymore, an' that broke my heart. That's why I had ta take you with me--you're the most important person from my old life, an' the only one who loves me regardless of who or what I am."

"But...why Turles? He tried to kill us, Dad."

"Yeah, an' he still isn't the best person, I'll grant. But when he saw how Chichi was treatin' me, he knew it wasn't right. He offered to help me learn more about my instincts, so I can understand and control 'em better. And he accepts who I am--a Saiyan raised on Earth. He understands that I'm not like other Saiyans, or like Earthlings, and he _accepts_ that. I didn't get that from my friends on Earth, or Raditz, or Vegeta an' Nappa...just Turles. An' I guess I need that more than I realized."

"Okay, Dad," said Gohan. "I guess I can understand that."

Goku smiled and hugged his son, his tail slowly curling and uncurling with joy.

"But I still don't like it. And I miss Mr. Piccolo."

"Maybe some time we'll go back to Earth and visit everyone," Goku said. "After they've had time to calm down an' realize I ain't the monster they all think I am."

"I don't think you're a monster, Dad."

"I know, son. And I love you so much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 chapters in 2 days--I am on a ROLL with this fic! I can't help it; the new ideas just won't stop coming!
> 
> Please, if you like this, comment and let me know! I like knowing I'm not the only one who enjoys seeing where this goes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, it's Vegeta! I wonder what the Saiyan prince wants with our little trio?

It had been another month or so now, and Gohan was apparently used to life on the ship, and even to having Turles as a second father. The boy took to space piracy astonishingly well, all things considered. Were all Saiyan children this adaptable? Turles couldn't remember.

"Hey pops, the scanners are showing a small craft about 20 km to our lower portside!" Gohan said, turning to the dark-skinned pirate.

Turles peered at the proximity-scanner screen. "Looks tiny enough to be an old Saiyan pod. Open commlink and we'll see what's going on."

Vegeta's face filled the forward monitor of the bridge. "Wha--Turles? I should have known you were behind this. What have you done with Kakarot?"

"Relax, short stuff. He's just fine." Turles turned toward the master suite. "Hey Kakarot! An old 'friend' wants to talk to you."

"Right now?" the younger man grumbled as he stumbled out in a towel, trying to run a brush through his damp hair. "I just got outta the shower."

Vegeta bristled. "You will address your prince with respect!"

Turles just laughed. "You're the prince of nowhere and nothing, or did you forget that our home planet's been gone for over 20 years now? You can't be a prince with no kingdom and only a handful of subjects."

"Oh hey, it's Vegeta!" Goku said, perking up. "Hi Vegeta!"

"Kakarot, you complete idiot! You knew you were at risk of that heart virus, and you went to space, where you're that much more likely to catch it? Did you forget about the android threat, or are you just trying to get yourself and that half-breed son of yours killed?"

"Hey, Ka', what's he talking about? What android threat?"

"A Super Saiyan from the future said there'd be androids coming to Earth in a couple years to kill me and all my old friends, and I'd die of a heart virus before they arrived. I kept the medicine on me, though, so we should be just fine."

Turles stared at his mate. "You met someone from the future, who could go Super Saiyan, and told you when and how you were going to die? And even though you clearly believe it, you're this calm about it?"

"Well, I figure if it turns out I can't stop it, there's no point in worrying about it, right? Besides, we can easily head back to Earth when the androids are due to arrive, blast 'em into little pieces, and sell 'em for scrap at that nice trading station near Betelgeuse."

"Kakarot, I was vaccinated against every deadly disease known to affect Saiyans when I was a kid. You could've just told me about this, and I'd gladly transfuse some of my blood to pass the immunity on."

"You--you would be that casual about a transfer of blood?" Vegeta gasped (since no one had bothered closing the commlink). "Have you forgotten how sacred--"

"Kakarot's already tasted my blood, and I've had his," Turles said. "Didn't you notice the scars?"

"You--KAKAROT! You mated with this traitor?" Vegeta was absolutely livid.

"Vegeta--" Goku was completely ignored by the other two adult Saiyans, who were too busy screaming at each other.

"Says the dog who licked Frieza's boots!"

"Strong words from a failed genetic experiment!"

"At least I know half of my DNA didn't come from the man who sold us to the Colds!"

Goku sighed. "If y'all are just gonna argue, I'm gonna go ahead and put some pants on." He retreated to the master suite.

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Goku returned to the bridge, Vegeta and Turles had exhausted their supply of creative insults, at least for the moment.

"Vegeta, I know this looks bad an' all, but no one back on Earth treats me the same anymore. I won't stay where I'm not wanted, an' if this is how everyone's gonna treat us on Earth just for having Saiyan blood, then I don't want Gohan there either. I'm happy here. Turles treats me better than any Earthling does anymore, and Gohan's learnin' all kinds of stuff he wouldn't get to study on Earth. All we gotta do is go back to Earth in time to stop the androids, and then everything'll be ok."

"Kakarot, did Turles tell you where he came from and why? Because given his past behavior, he's got to have some ulterior motive. He's never this nice to anyone unless he can use them."

Turles growled, his tail bristling with anger.

"Turles? What's Vegeta talkin' about? Weren't you born on Planet Vegeta like all the other Saiyans?"

"Technically, I wasn't born at all. But I'll tell you after the call. Frankly, I'm surprised Vegeta came all the way out here just to tell you to go back to that primitive mudball in the first place."

"Bulma and the harpy wouldn't shut up about it, especially since Kakarot took the boy with him. Finally those weak fighters Kakarot used to hang around with rounded up the Dragon Balls so she could wish for an operational pod. Since I'm the best pilot, and the only one who knows a damn thing about Saiyans, I was stuck piloting it out here."

Goku raised an eyebrow at Vegeta's use of his old friend's first name. He never called any of the Earthlings by name. "How is Bulma, anyway?"

"Well, now that she's not vomiting all the time she's back to her usual self. I suspect she might be pregnant, but it's no business of mine." Vegeta narrowed his eyes. "Why do you suddenly care so much about her, anyway?"

"Vegeta, how far in the future did Trunks say he was from again?"

"Seventeen years, Kakarot. You were there, even if you did arrive late," Vegeta scowled. He wasn't sure he liked where this line of questioning was going.

"And how old would you say he was, roughly?" The look on Goku's face could have illustrated a dictionary entry on "smug."

"Not quite mature, about sixte--YOU KNEW!" Vegeta screamed as Goku started laughing. "You third-class son of a bitch, you knew! Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"Oh, please," Goku grinned. "Would you have done it with her if anyone told you to? I'm just glad that part of the future is still coming true. Trunks seemed pretty nice."

"As if you would care about that! You're too busy bedding down with...that thing to even bother preparing for the androids!"

"Turles and I do plenty of training!" Goku retorted, then he blushed. "We just...get distracted a lot."

This time, it was Vegeta's turn to laugh. "I'm not surprised, given that you went so far as to mark each other."

"Ya mean the bite? It just sorta happened. What does that have to do with...what we've been up to?"

Vegeta could not believe he was having this conversation. "By biting each other, you became mates. There's an instinctive reaction when two Saiyans share blood. Generally, they're in each other's beds constantly for about a month. It's a way to make sure that the female partner gets pregnant, but since that's not possible with the two of you, it just means that you're probably even more annoying than usual."

Gohan shuddered, remembering the unwelcome surprise he'd had the night after their first shopping trip. "Can we please not talk about my dad having sex? At least not in front of me?"

Goku winced. "Sorry, Gohan. I know it's probably really weird for you."

Vegeta cleared his throat. "Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand, is Kakarot returning to Earth or not?"

Goku sighed. "I'll be back in time to deal with the androids, but in the meantime, I don't really feel much need to go back. Like I said, I'm happy with Turles, even if he is kinda selfish sometimes. And tell Chichi that Gohan's okay, that he's studying, and that I'm keeping him out of trouble. Maybe once she realizes I'm not trying to hurt my own son, she'll stop wailing about it."

"All right, Kakarot, but don't expect me to easy on you the next time we meet. Now that I can go Super Saiyan, I will have my revenge." Vegeta closed communications and turned around, heading back toward Earth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Goku return to fight the androids? And what is Turles's mysterious origin? Find out next time on DRAGON BALL Z!! (You heard the announcer voice. I know you did.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy exposition, Batman!

Goku turned to his mate. "So what was that about where you come from, Turles? And...not bein' born? Did I hear you right?"

Turles sighed. "I don't like to talk about my past, but you do have the right to know. Frankly, I'm not sure how much Vegeta actually knows about this, since it happened before the king even took a mate.

"After the Tuffle War, we needed a way to bolster our numbers. Some of the more scientifically-inclined Saiyans had figured out the gene-splicing machines the Tuffles had used to breed super-soldiers, and decided it would be the perfect way to create enough Saiyans to replace all of us who were lost.

"Thousands of Saiyans volunteered to give DNA samples or donate eggs for the test run. Four hundred zygotes were successfully created, and each of us had genes from the strongest and smartest Saiyans alive. I think I had seven genetic parents, or maybe eight. Honestly, it doesn't really matter, since I never met any of them.

"Unfortunately, cloning isn't as easy as just grabbing a set of chromosomes, jamming them into an egg, and injecting a few hormones to kick-start development. For reasons no one fully understood, nearly half of the clones were too severely deformed to survive incubation. Only 213 of us emerged from our incubation tanks alive. We were kept in groups of ten or fewer, so we could learn to socialize with other Saiyans in manageable groups that only needed a few adults to supervise.

"But by the time education and training began, some of us developed severe emotional disorders or just suddenly became sickly for no reason. Organs weren't maturing at the right rates, or something. One by one, cloned Saiyans died or were euthanized. And as I saw my 'siblings' slowly die off, I was shuffled around an ever-smaller number of socialization groups. As we approached adulthood, I watched more and more of them go dangerously insane, to the point that they started attacking themselves and each other. So more of them were euthanized.

"I was one of only five clones to reach the age of fifteen without developing serious problems with my physical or mental health. The program was discontinued; you can't really justify a cloning program with a success rate that's barely above 1%, after all. Then, when I heard the news that our entire planet had been turned over to Frieza and all able-bodied citizens were to join his army, I saw the writing on the wall. The Colds' reputation had preceded them, and none of us wanted to put up with the humiliation of being Frieza's dogs. So we ran away. I don't know what happened to the others, but I stole a ship and left the planet the first chance I got.

"It turns out I was right to be suspicious of Frieza; there's no way that 'meteor shower' that destroyed our planet wasn't a planned attack. Not when stronger and stronger Saiyans were being born, and rumors that the Legend would arise to kill Frieza and destroy his empire were getting more and more common."

Goku was stunned. He'd never have guessed that such a massive cloning program would be possible, even if it had been a failure. "That's terrible, what happened to you and yer brothers and sisters. If I'd had that big a family, I'd never wanna lose 'em all like that."

His mate sighed. "That was over forty years ago. I shut everyone out because I had to. You're the first person I ever cared this much about since I ran away from the facility, and I honestly never expected it to happen. I always assumed anyone I loved would die, so it was better to just wall off my feelings and do whatever it took to survive. The Tree of Might was my chance to become strong enough that I could do anything. That if I found someone worth protecting, I could. And if entire planets had to die for me to become strong, that was just the cost of survival."

"But none of yer old crew were Saiyans."

Turles gave a wry smile. "Most Saiyans don't trust me. Remember, most of the siblings I grew up with went insane. I'm sure they figure it's only a matter of time before I snap."

Goku was furious. "So because all of yer brothers an' sisters went crazy, Vegeta thinks you're insane too? That's like sayin' that because nobody else on Earth is green, Kami and Piccolo ain't green neither! You're not the other clones! And you're not a failure!"

Turles gave a wry smile. "I don't know who those people are, but yeah. There are exceptions to almost every rule. I just wish more people saw it the way you do." He kissed Goku's cheek. "I'm so lucky to have you, Kakarot."

 

* * *

 

  
Gohan had made excellent progress with his studies. He could read and write in Galactic Standard, and was slowly learning the traditional language of the Saiyans. He was finally ready to start listening to the Songs, and that "evening," by ship's time, he inserted the recording chip.

The Songs didn't really have a melody. They were simply chanted to a rhythm, the meter and rhyme scheme carefully chosen to make them easy to remember and pass down. Gohan closed his eyes and listened to the recorded voices of long-dead Saiyans as they told their creation myth.

A translation of it would look something like this:

_"The lord of light and the lady of darkness_   
_Sought each other, pursued each other,_   
_But the jealous Lord of Blood_   
_Pulled the lord of light in two._   
_Two were the halves, that became the two suns._   
_Eyo brings life. Aro burns and brings death._

_"The Lady of Darkness cried bitter tears_   
_For her lover, who'd kindled his fire within her._   
_Her tears flooded the world,_   
_and as the waters receded,_   
_every kind of plant grew on the land._   
_And the floods have happened every fourth year since._

_"The Lady was heavy with child,_   
_With the child of the Lord of Light._   
_But the Lord of Blood was jealous,_   
_And did not want his rival's child to live._   
_He put a hole throught the infant's heart,_   
_And spilled her blood upon the ground._

_"The Lady roared, 'Because of this,_   
_Because you have killed my child, my own,_   
_I place upon you a curse,_   
_And all of our children will be mad for blood.'_   
_She formed her child into the moon,_   
_The light that shines in darkest night._

_"The Lady lay with the Lord of Blood,_   
_And from them the first Saiyans were born._   
_But the curse of the Lady was upon them,_   
_And the sight of the moon drove them mad._   
_Brother slew brother, and sister slew sister,_   
_And the blood soaked into the hard ground._

_"As time passed, the Lady watched her children_   
_And wept for the deaths of so many._   
_And so she made the curse into a blessing._   
_Now her first child, the moon, would give strength,_   
_But at the cost of a change in form,_   
_Which made self-control more difficult."_

"Woah." Gohan put away the recording for a while. The chanting had stirred something in his blood, and he wanted to be around other Saiyans now. He went to the bridge to look for his fathers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Turles's account of his origins leapt into my brain while I was in the supermarket once. Hardly anything has changed; I just had to write it down and go from there. The Saiyan myth took a bit longer to write. (And just because it doesn't rhyme in English, doesn't mean it wouldn't rhyme in Saiyan.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During a salvage mission, Turles learns a powerful secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: It's been a while, huh? Don't worry, I didn't forget about this fic! I lost the whole thing when my laptop went on the fritz (This is why weekly backups are important, kids!) and barely managed to reconstruct anything before I got it back. Then, on top of that, I had a very busy schedule that kept the Muse from bugging me.
> 
> I don't know dick about which stars are closer to which, other than a few distances from Earth to certain stars. Fortunately, since we don't know the nature of the FTL travel in this series, it doesn't matter. Welcome aboard the USS Apathy.

Goku was having what, for a Saiyan, qualified as a light snack--four chocolate-chip cookies, a family-size bag of potato chips, and a pint of ice cream. He sat on the couch, holding the ice cream in his tail with the cookies sticking out of it.

He'd just taken an ice-cream-covered bite of cookie when Gohan walked into the common area. "Dad? I was listening to the Songs, and I learned something really cool!"

"Hmm?" Clearly whatever it was excited Gohan--his tail wouldn't stay still! It wagged faster than a puppy's tail after it's heard you're taking it to the park.

"We can control the giant apes!" Gohan cried, grabbing a handful of potato chips. "The Song about why the transformation happens said it makes self-control 'more difficult,' not impossible! If we can learn to control 'em, then we can just find those androids and _step_ on 'em and then everyone'll be ok!"

"Um...did it say anything about how long it takes to learn that control?"

"Oh, right." Gohan's face sank.

"Well, you could ask Turles about that. I'm pretty sure he'd know," Goku said, hoping to help cheer up his only son.

"Maybe. And if it's quick enough, I'll stomp the androids before they can hurt anybody!"

The Earth-raised Saiyan smiled as his tiny son raced recklessly out of the room. _Who knows? It might help. And it'll give Gohan something else to do when he's finished his usual training and studies for the day._

 

Turles, meanwhile, was on the bridge, listening to transmissions from other ships on the most common comm-frequencies. They'd need money and supplies soon, and unless Turles could hijack a PTO cargo ship or salvage a wreck, they'd have to start tightly rationing food within a few days.

He'd just changed frequencies yet again, hoping desperately for something he could use, when Gohan rushed into the room and grabbed him by the arm.

"Popscanyouteachmetocontrolmyapeformsowecan--"

"Woah! Hold it, kid." Turles gently shook off the young hybrid's grip on his arm, and pushed him to arm's length with his tail. "Now, calm down and, _slowly_ , tell me what you want."

"I was listening to the Songs, and it said we can learn to control our ape form, and I wanna learn how so I can use it to stop the androids an' keep Dad or anyone else from gettin' hurt!" Gohan said, tail wagging furiously.

"Well," Turles said, "you're a bit older than most Saiyan kids that learn it, but sure, I'll give you some lessons as soon as I find a suitable planet. In the meantime, though, I'm trying to find some work so we can still eat. With 3 Saiyans aboard, we're kinda running through supplies faster than I'm used to."

 

* * *

 

  
"Work," in this case, turned out to be finding a lost pleasure ship in the general vicinity of Antares.  (And as an added bonus, there was a planet with a suitable moon within 20 light-years for training Gohan.)  If the crew was still alive, they'd pay pretty decently for repairs.  If they were dead, then he'd just take as many parts as possible and sell them at a fair price--after all, when you sold salvage, 100% of what you brought in was pure profit.  It wasn't stealing if the owners were dead, at least, according to Turles.  And some rich bastard's private space-yacht would have a lot of valuable salvage.

Gohan would remain behind on the bridge, monitoring his fathers to make sure nothing went wrong. Said adults suited up for vacuum, just in case their target's life-support systems had been blown out. "It's a definite possibility," commented Turles. "That sector was the site of a pretty nasty war about 100 years ago, and there is a chance not all of the proximity mines were cleared away. After all, it's a pretty big area."

None of them wanted to think about what would happen if they were unlucky enough to strike a forgotten space mine themselves.

 

* * *

 

They found the ship and, as Turles had suspected, it was badly damaged. There was a good-sized hole in the hull, but not big enough to be from a mine. Maybe it had been hit by a rogue asteroid?  
Goku and Turles floated through the hole, still tethered to the safety of their own ship. The lines slowly paid out as the two Saiyans drifted down a hallway on the nearest reasonably-intact deck.

"There's something about this that doesn't smell right," Turles muttered into the coms. "Stay alert for other ki signals, Kakarot. If you sense anyone, let me know right away."

"I sense about a half-dozen people a little further down this way, about ten meters," Goku replied. "Not very strong, but still alive. They must have been able to close a hatch or something to preserve the air supply."

"Some of these fancy pleasure-rigs do have that feature," Turles said, thinking. "If it's the owners, we could always charge double for repairs or hold them for ransom. If it's other salvagers, then a quick Kill Driver should take care of them."

"You think it's a trap?"

"Kakarot, I assume everything's a trap. It's how I've stayed alive."  
 

 

The six people waiting for them were not the owners of the craft, or at least, not its registered legal owners. "Turles," grinned a toadlike alien in a very...wide spacesuit. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Sennam," Turles said, fake smile plastered on, "I was wondering when I'd run into your ugly face again."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure the pleasure is all mine," Sennam chortled. "The Altairians have added another 25,000 credits to the price on your head, you know."

"So you set this up to catch me," Turles said. "Not bad for a slimy toad like you! I just have one question.

"I don't see your ship around here. So after you blew a hole in this ship and threw everyone out the airlock, where did you stash your own ship? You wouldn't leave it too far away, especially since you've clearly already grabbed the paintings from the walls."

"You'd love to know that, wouldn't you?" Sennam said. "But it really doesn't matter where I stashed my ship, because you're not going to live to use that information anyway." He signaled to his crew with his hand.

One of Sennem's crew members fired her blaster. It tore through the sleeve of Goku's space suit. " _Warning: suit integrity has been compromised_ ," said the automated warning voice. Something flashed in Goku's eyes.

And then, something happened that Turles, the space pirate who thought he'd seen everything, wasn't at all ready for.

Goku roared and went Super Saiyan. Golden hair gleamed inside his helmet, radiating its own inner light. Teal eyes glowed dangerously as he turned to the alien who'd attacked him and ripped her in two.  
   
The Saiyan who'd spent his whole life as a gentle, caring man who only fought when it was necessary was gone. In its place was a snarling berserker, firing ki blasts and ripping apart enemies as if they were bits of paper. His spacesuit's gloves tore under the strain, and blood spattered both Saiyans' suits.

And Turles, who usually had no problem keeping his head in combat, who'd never hesitated to kill and kill quickly, could only stare in shock. This was not the Saiyan he thought he knew. His mate was like a force of nature, and only the fact that they'd shared blood and ki through the mating bites kept the pirate from fearing for his own life.

When the enemies were gone, Goku powered down. "Did--Did I just--" he panted.

_"Warning: suit integrity has been compromised. Warning: suit integrity has been compromised."_

Turles finally found words. "You're the legendary Super Saiyan? And you never told me?"

Goku grinned sheepishly, his hand almost reflexively reaching to scratch his old head scar before being stopped by his space helmet. "It just never really came up."

" _Never really_ \--Look," Turles sighed. "Your suit is leaking. We need to head back before you run out of oxygen. We'll discuss this when we get back to the ship. Hey kid," he said indicating Gohan. "Reel us in."

"Roger," Gohan said, pushing the button that was labelled RETRACT EVA SUITS in Galactic Standard. The boy didn't say anything, but Turles got the feeling he was probably pretty shaken up by all this too. Did Gohan know about his father's transformation? Did he know how violent--how much more _Saiyan_ \--Goku got when it happened?

 

* * *

  

Once they were safely back in the ship (after what felt like a million more repetitions of " _Suit integrity has been compromised_ ") and Turles was satisfied that none of his family/crew were going to die in the next few minutes, the outlaw brought up the subject again.

"So the legend of the Super Saiyan came true, and it's you and the Prince?" Turles asked. "Vegeta wasn't just blowing hot air before?"

"Yes," Goku said, sighing. "It's really strong, but kinda scary too. It's a lot harder to control my anger when I'm like that."

"So that rumor that's been going around that Frieza was found half-dead and raving about a Super Saiyan was true?"

"Yep."

"And that Super Saiyan was _you_?"

"That's right."

"So when both Frieza and Cold dropped off the radar, what was that?"

"Like I told you," Goku said, starting to get frustrated, "Vegeta's son from the future came back in a time machine, went Super Saiyan, and killed them."

"So when Vegeta commented that one of the Earthlings was pregnant, and was angry that you already knew about it...?"

Goku grinned. "She's pregnant with the same Saiyan who came from the future."

Turles laughed. "I don't know which is better--the fact that you achieved the legendary state, that you did it before Vegeta, or that Mr. High-And-Mighty has a son with an Earthling!"

Goku was slightly confused. "So...you do believe me, right?"

"Of course, Kakarot," Turles said, ruffling his mate's hair. "No one would make up a lie _that_ crazy."


End file.
